Re: [gardeners] Vidalia & 1015Y Texas Sweet

Allen and Judy Merten (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 28 Mar 1999 23:02:49 -0600 

Hi Marguerite,
    I think that Territorial Seed is pricing according to the popularity of
the onion varieties. That is a ridiculously high price for 1015y or Vidalia
onion sets. I get all my onion transplants for a penny apiece or less that
includes 1015's, Vidalia's, Red Bermuda's and Grannex's. I get all of mine
at local nurseries. I usually buy in bundles of 100.
     I plant my onion sets or transplants about 4 inches apart. The spacing
is the recommendation of Dr. Sam Cotner, Head of Department of Horticultural
Sciences at Texas A&M. Prior to that he was the state vegetable specialist
for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.
      I think that your husbands Vidalia sets will be good enough unless
they are real small. I plant every set that I get in a bundle. The real
skinny ones I use later for green onions.
       I make a trench about 4 inches deep, add fertilizer, cover with about
2" of dirt, set the roots of the transplants on this dirt and cover with
about 1" to1-1/2" of soil.  3-4 weeks later I side dress with 21-0-0. When
they start bulbing I fertilize again. I try to keep them as weed free as
possible as onions do not compete well with weeds.
       I hope that this helps you. There is a Texas grower that I have a
catalogue from. I 'll try to dig it up and email the name, etc. to you. I
think that they are much cheaper for 1015 Y's.
       Happy Gardening,
        Allen


Marguerite wrote:

> Hi Allen,
>     I have ordered  2 bundles of 1015Y Texas Sweets (of 50 to 75 sets
> per bundle), that are to arrive this week.  Along with them, I ordered 3
> bundles of Vidalia sets (50 to 75 sets per bundle).   Both varieties
> cost $6.95 per bundle from the Territorial Seed Company.  Since I called
> a second time and increased my order, I have two shipping costs of $3.75
> for each of two separate shippings.  I figure that is nearly $42.00 for
> approximately 300 onion sets, including shipping costs.
>     Meanwhile, my husband found Vidalia onion sets at the local grocery
> store for $.60 a bundle, including tax.  He knew we liked Vidalia onions
> from buying them in the grocery store last winter, so he got me 5
> bundles containing 65 plants per bundle.  That was a total of $3.00 for
> 325 onion sets.
>     They may not be of the high quality that Territorial Seed Company
> sells, but I have the "cheap" Vidalia onion sets planted in a raised
> bed, about 6 inches of space between each set.  I plan to pull some of
> them for eating in late spring, in a pattern of "every other one,"  as
> they grow,  so as to leave more room for the remaining onions to grow to
> a large, mature size.
>     For the EXPENSIVE ones coming later this week, what is the closest I
> can plant these sets if I do not intend to "thin them" by pulling "every
> other one," before they reach their full, mature size?    Allen, and
> anyone with experience "planting onions close together,"  I would
> appreciate opinions you might have on this plan.
>     I am labeling the onion sets in the garden, so as to see if the
> EXPENSIVE ones are better quality than the cheap (less than a penny per
> onion set) onions.  For the 1015Y Texas Sweet onions, I may have to
> order from a seed catalog, but never again pay the higher price for
> Vidalias IF the grocery store onion sets produce the same quality
> onion.  Next year, I also plan to try the Candy pelleted onion seeds
> from Stokes.
>       This year, I will have in excess of 600 onion sets.  I have
> limited space, so I am interested in planting as close as "success" will
> allow.  I have an American Harvester Food Dehydrator, and plan to dry
> some onions.  Does anyone have advice as to the probable success one
> might have drying onions?   Most of the onions will be frozen in
> appropriate size portions for chili, soups, and other uses.  I will
> store in a dry, cool place, only the amount I think we can eat before
> they spoil.
>     I hope my husband's grocery store Vidalias are as good as the
> EXPENSIVE ones, so I can buy them there each year, but IF they are, I am
> going to be really SICK to know I paid that extraordinary price for the
> ones I ordered.  I still don't have another less expensive source for
> the 1015Y Texas onions, though.
>     Thanks for any advice anyone can give me.
> Marguerite Ruch, on the shore of Truman Lake in Missouri